Japan is often described as a place where the nail that sticks up gets hammered down—but what about the nails that refuse to stay down? In this episode, we speak with scholars and journalists David McNeill and Stephen McClure about their new book, Japanese Rebels: Non-conformists in a Conformist Society, which profiles a number of figures who challenged the prevailing orthodoxies of Japanese politics, religion, art, entertainment, journalism, and social life. The conversation explores openly gay political pioneer Togo Ken, cannabis activist Takagi Saya, artist Rokudenashiko, journalist Ito Shiori, Yoko Ono, Amakusa Shiro, the massive 1960 AMPO protests, and the battle over Narita Airport. Along the way, David and Stephen consider what makes someone a rebel, why not every rebel is a hero, how Japanese society marginalizes dissent, and why work, prosperity, mortgages, and fading historical memory can gradually drain a movement’s rebellious energy.

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The musical outro (Hammered Down) can be found here, along with various other Deep in Japan tracks. 

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